Thomas Garvie
tgarvie@uwyo.edu
Better Wyoming, a nonprofit advocacy group in Laramie, launched a petition to prevent Governor Matt Mead from using rainy day funds for UW athletics Nov. 4; however, this appears to be controversial as to whether this was ever the Governor’s intent.
“It’s not right, both the state and the university could use this money in other areas,” Director of Better Wyoming and former Branding Iron News Editor Adam Croft said.
According to a Better Wyoming Press Release, the petition was a response to a Sept. 29 article that appeared in the Casper Star Tribune.
The article entitled “Gov. Mead considers using rainy day fund to support UW athletics,” written by Ryan Holmgren describes the continued contributions to athletics from the state, such as matching the Cowboy Joe club athletic contributions with state rainy day funds. Additionally, the article includes quotes from Mead expressing an interest in continuing momentum for a variety of UW programs.
“What we’ve got started here at UW with regard to athletics, with regard to engineering, the science initiative, I don’t want that momentum to stop,” Mead told the Casper Star Tribune.
Holmgren quoted Mead saying the budget implications of the programs are unclear.
“Those types of things we won’t know until I’m through (with budget) hearings, the amount of money we’re going to have, but if at all possible, we certainly want to support that,” Mead told the Tribune.
David Bush, communication director for the Office of the Governor, said the Casper Star Tribune misinterpreted Mead’s plans for the rainy day fund.
“He didn’t say he wanted to use rainy day funds on athletics,” Bush said.
Bush said Mead’s intention was to explain belt tightening at the university, rather than a plan to spend more money on athletics.
“He was talking about effects of the budget constraints on the university,” Bush said.
Bush also said the point made about special requests and matching donations to UW is something that has taken place for years, and that it is something that may not be available going forward.
However the writer of the article Ryan Holmgren said that matching the Cowboy Joe club funds was all that was discussed, and that he stands by his article.
“I said Wyoming has requested the $5 million Cowboy Joe club match be continued with a $10 million request,” Holmgren said. “ I was just asking what his stance was.”
Bush confirmed in a second conversation that Mead never expressed any intention to use rainy day funds on UW sports.
“No he never said he was considering using rainy day funds on the athletic programs,” Bush said.
Bush said the conversation was about the budget in general and not about UW athletics in particular.
Holmgren disagreed.
“That’s incorrect,” Holmgren said. “I specifically mentioned the $5 million Cowboy Joe club match and that was the only topic.”
Holmgren also said it made little sense to talk to Mead about other budget concerns considering both the venue and the fact Holmgren is a sports reporter.
Bush described the Governor’s quotes in the article as being “confused and misrepresented.”
Sports Director and Editor of Holmgren’s article, Ross Jacobson, said he also stands behind the article and that community response may have changed his mind.
“He got a lot of backlash he wasn’t prepared for and now he is backtracking,” Jacobson said.
Holmgren said that his transcripts supported Jacobson’s claim.
“I haven’t spoken with them since then, but if they are saying that nothing was mentioned specifically on the rainy day fund or that it wasn’t about athletics then yeah, that would probably be classified as backtracking,” Holmgren said, “I still have the audio.”
At press time Mead’s office was not available for an immediate response to Holmgren’s backtracking claims.
Whether the governor’s office is truly backtracking or Holmgren and the Casper Star Tribune misinterpreted the intent of the quote, Better Wyoming and the signers of their petition can find solace in David Bush’s response when asked if the governor has any intention of using the rainy day fund for UW athletics,
“No.”
